Love's Twisting Paths
by Glitter's Infatuation
Summary: Christian leaves Satine, and she follows him, with disasterous consequences. EDITED AND COMPLETE
1. Come Back To Me

Untitled [help me think up a good one!]

By Glitter's Infatuation 

NOTE: I take the story line into my hands a bit; Christian leaves and Satine does not die. That'd be all.

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"Come back to me and forgive-" her words were cut off by a loud echo from the slamming door at the back of the hall, a slam that shook Satine to the core. He had left her. Christian had left her. Now she was alone in the world, lost again. Her passion with love died like a flame in the wind, snuffed out and never re-lit. Satine's demeanour crashed, her icy façade from the show melted, and the true Satine was revealed to everyone watching. Tears poured down her pale cheeks, and her sobs made people look away, uncomfortable with what they saw. _Surely this wasn't part of the show? _they thought, their gazes landing anywhere but on the face of the star. Now, the fallen star.

With a feral cry, Satine rushed off the stage, leaving Harold gasping like a landed fish, and the audience murmuring. Her satin shoes rustled in her haste to the back doors, and her crimson curls flew behind her. Reaching the doors, Satine turned and stared at the stage. In the centre, Harold stood, his face pleading. He _needed_ Satine to come back, or he, the entire Moulin Rouge, was finished. With a silent cry, Satine blew the broken ringleader a final kiss, before heaving open the heavy doors and slipping into the night.

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Satine didn't have to go far before she found Christian. He sat, huddled in the entrance of the foot of the elephant, his eyes glazed with green, mumbling softly to himself. Satine ran towards him, the rain soaking her beautiful gown and smudging her makeup. As she approached, Christian heard her soft footfalls and stood up quickly. The Absinthe made him dizzy, and he tumbled ungracefully to the floor. 

"Christian, Christian? Can you hear me? Why did you leave?" Satine's normally peaceful voice was haggard and strained. She tried to touch his arm to lift him, but Christian yanked it away. 

"Away from me, whore. I paid you, what more do you want?" 

Satine crumbled. She had never heard him speak such harsh, such vicious words before. Her sadness was replaced by rage as the drunken poet slowly stood up. The cold chill of sadness was quickly replaced by a tidal wave of red-hot anger, and it made her blood boil. 

"How dare you! Christian, you don't know what you're saying. This isn't you, this is the Absinthe, that blasted Green Fairy playing with your mind." Her voice grew more pleading, as the anger was slowly drained and confusion, hurt and despair filled its place. "Please Christian, I love you. You taught me how to love, I can't live without you. Come what may, remember?" 

Christian stood with his back to Satine. Yes, he remembered. Come what may. He'd put his heart and soul into that song, their song, and she had tainted it. Now it was worthless, like the Moulin Rouge was surely about to become. He turned raised his arm and slapped Satine across the cheek. She fell to the floor with a silent scream, and when she looked up at him, Christian could see the ugly red welt that he had marked her with smarting. A fragment of him yearned to touch her, to kiss her, to plead for forgiveness, but the Absinthe drowned brain whispered all the things she had told him, the lies she had effortlessly passed as the truth. It hurt, god it hurt so much, but Christian slowly turned and walked away, leaving Satine on the floor, the rain never ceasing.


	2. The Hand of Fate

**I own nothing, except for my characters Armelle, and the various people on the train! I own something! Wow!** 

When Satine finally dragged herself back inside, most of the audience had left, while others were demanding their money back. Harold hadn't noticed Satine, and she quietly slipped into the shadows until she was out of his sight. The raced along the backbones of the Moulin Rouge, darting between wooden pillars and petticoats until she reached Armelle's dressing room. She knocked quickly three times, their private knock, and was smoothly ushered inside.

The room was small, obviously smaller than Satine's, but it had a more 'homely' look. The walls were decorated with drawings and paintings and candles adorned every available space. Satine leaned heavily on the closed door, while Armelle made some of her famous lemon tea.

Armelle was Satine's closest friend, after Marie. She was only a few months younger than the diamond, and she was always second fiddle if Satine was ill. She had a startling look about her, an air of grace and royalty. It was just an air though; she assured everyone that she was just a commoner's daughter, and nothing royal. Harold never had rich girls; they caused too much trouble. Her raven black hair was tied back in a loose knot and her jade green eyes gazed intently on the cups she was arranging; though it was obvious that she wondered what Satine had done.

When the tea was finished, Armelle led Satine to her chaise lounge, where Satine threw herself amongst the pillows and howled. Armelle gently rubbed her shoulder and whispered soothing words until Satine looked up and smiled thinly, her eyes red and her red cheek looking sore. She softly accepted the cup and sipped delicately, while Armelle arranged herself gracefully on the edge of her bed.

"I…I went to s-see him, and he turned me away. He hit me Melle, he hit me so, so hard." Her voice broke and she sipped the warm tea, her eyes gazing at the floor. Armelle coughed and tried to assess the troubling situation.

"Satine…Tine. Get Christian. I've seen you too together. It must have been the drink. Get away from this place, go back to England, just get the hell out of here. Soon." Satine raised her eyes quickly; unsure of what Armelle was getting to. "Tine, the Duke wants you, he wants Christian killed. Every dancer in this place wants you killed; old Dukey holds the deeds, so goodbye job. Harold wants to kill _both_ of you. You see my point? Get Christian, make him apologise, and leave."

Satine could see Armelle's point. A plan blossomed in her mind, and she stood up and started pacing up and down the room.

"I have to get my things, Melle could you that for me? Christian loves me he _loves_ me. I'll go to him, tell him, get out of here. Oh Melle! But what about you? How will you survive?"

"Calm _down_ tine, your pacing is driving me insane! Firstly, I'll get your stuff; Princesse will help me, so will Chocolat. Secondly, I'll be fine" a wicked glint sparkled in Armelle's green eyes, "I have enough money to last me my entire life. I'm not a commoner's daughter, I'm," Armelle blushed and coughed, trying to hide her sly giggles, "I am Lady Amelia Fésson, daughter of Lord Fésson of Louvre. I have been dying to tell you Tine for ages, but I knew Harold would throw me out otherwise. I left Papa because he wanted me to marry the most awful Earl, he was simply hideous!"

Satine stared at Armelle's outburst, her eyes growing wider and wider, until they were almost the same size as 10 franc coins. Laughter bubbled out from her and soon the room was alive with shrieks and giggles.

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Satine hid behind the heavy drape curtains when Armelle stole away to collect Satine's things. Chocolat and Princesse were also helping, watching out for Harold and sneaking small items while Armelle dealt with the clothes. She needn't have worried. In Satine's dressing room lay two small bulging bags of clothes and items, with a note attached from Marie. Smiling softly, Armelle slid out of the room and hurried back to her room, almost falling with the heavy weight of the bags. When she returned, she found Satine asleep, slouched behind the curtains, her hair hiding her face. Giggling, Armelle lifted the sleeping figure into the spacious bed and slid in next to her, hugging her friend. She was wild, but soon she would be free. 

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The dawn was breaking when Satine woke up. She stared at the bags, and saw the note on top. Sliding from underneath the warm covers, she tiptoed and lifted the small scrap of paper, which was scrawled with a hasty note: 

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Satine, 

Thought you might need these things. Be careful, and I hope that Christian is everything you want. You deserve it. 

Love, Marie 

Satine smiled and allowed a small tear to slide slowly down her cheek. She glanced at the prone figure of Armelle, Amelia even, and blew her a soft kiss. Gathering up her bags, she took one final look at the life she was about to leave, and left in silence. 

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Christian's garret was empty. Satine rattled the knocker as hard as she could, and was suddenly shocked by the tired face of Toulouse from the top of the stairs. "My sweet, what is the matter? Is something wrong?" "Toulouse, no lies. Where is Christian?" Satine's voice was controlled, but firm. Toulouse heard the warning in her tone and decided to be straight. He'd rather not suffer the consequences. "Satine, Chwistian weft for Engwand last night. I'm so sowwy." He looked on sadly as Satine's face crumpled. Without a word, she left, her feet clattering on the wooden steps. Toulouse tried to follow, but he stopped. He knew it would be pointless. Nobody could help Satine, only Christian could do that.

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For three weeks Satine roamed the streets of Paris, trying to find the courage to get on the train to find Christian. She begged and stole, and it was only when a man propositioned her that she realised what she had fallen to. From the up-and-coming actress cum courtesan, to the local thief and whore. It made her feel sick.

When she finally got onto the train station, Satine had to fight every urge to run off and to run back to Harold. But she knew that it was pointless. Harold would never allow her back anywhere near Montmarte, and even if she went near there; the Duke would have her captured.

Stepping onto the train, Satine was filled with a desire to see Christian's face. This had been the longest time she had ever been without him, and the longest time away from Montmarte. She felt homesick, but she knew that going to England would be the only way to get to Christian.

Delicately stepping between passengers, Satine gracefully found a seat next to the window, alongside a fat man who smelt of cheese. Satine giggled, but then stopped as the man gave her an odd look. Staring out of the window, Satine felt sick when the train started chugging along the French countryside, so she closed her eyes tightly and dreamt of Christian.

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"Oy, dearest, we're 'ere. C'mon, off the train with you"

Satine felt her body being shaken roughly by the cheesy man. Her bleary eyes snapped awake when her brain registered his words. _She was here! In Christian's land!_ She felt like a giddy schoolgirl, and she grabbed her bags and practically ran off the train, and out of the station, where she stopped dead. She had no idea where she was supposed to be going!

"Need a carriage mademoiselle? We accept foreign money, no need to worry"

Satine warily judged the man. He stood next to the carriage, which looked very formal. Glancing around, she noticed that other people were climbing into similar carriages, so she took her chance.

"I need to get to this address," she commanded, using her 'Sparkling Diamond' voice, "I only have a small amount of money, will this do?"

She showed the man her odd collection of English money, which Marie had luckily stowed away, in the bags. The man arched an eyebrow and nodded. This woman was definitely a tourist.

"Certainly, madam. You're lucky, that area is quite nearby, we should be there in a few minutes."

He held out his hand and opened the carriage door. Satine smiled crisply and stepped into the small space and collapsed into a fit of giggles. This was all so strange! The driver heard his passenger's laughter, and cocked his eyebrow again. With a flick of the reigns, the horses were off, and Satine struggled to sit still; the ride was so bumpy and rough, it was worse than the train.

Pressing her nose against the window, Satine marvelled at the large posh houses and the outfits were so _strange_. Looking down at her clothes, Satine hoped she would look the part.

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When the horses stopped minutes later, Satine gasped at the area. The houses were simply huge, beautifully decorated and tasteful, with ornate gardens and fancy ornaments. The driver let her out of the carriage, and sped off, leaving Satine in front of one of the biggest houses Satine had ever seen in her life. It had about a million windows which all glinted in the sunshine and large turrets that were the same size of Christian's garret in Paris! It was now or never. Satine gracefully picked up her bags and rooted around for a mirror. After checking that everything was in order, she strode purposefully to the door and knocked loudly.

Fear encased her body, but her feet were footed to the ground. Footsteps hurriedly answered the door, and a small maid met Satine. Suddenly she found herself tongue-tied.

"How may I help you, miss?"

"Is...is Mr. Christian James home?" Satine's voice came out almost as a squeak.

"Not at the minute ma'am. If you'd like to wait in the parlour, he will be home shortly."

The maid turned and fled, while Satine struggled to follow. The house was like an anthill, there were rooms and corridors everywhere. Suddenly, she stopped, and opened a large door, which led to a room adorned with paintings. It was beautiful. The door was closed shut behind her and now all she could do was wait.

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The paintings, Satine discovered, were of Christian as a child. He had only one sister, Anna, and there were many portraits, and even pictures of the two of them as children. Satine was about to inspect one of Christian holding a book, when the door was creaked open, and the maid came back in, curtseying and bobbing her head.

"Mrs. Margaret James with Master Christian and Miss Lilieth to see you, ma'am."

The maid rushed back out, and slowly came in Margaret, followed shortly by Christian with a blonde girl hanging onto his shoulder. Satine wondered who the girl was. Christian's face held no messages, it was just blank and withdrawn.

"I do believe we haven't had the pleasure of meeting, my dear. I'm Margaret." Christian's mother held out her hand and smiled warmly, and Satine could not help but return it. So this was the woman who brought up Christian!

"How nice to meet you, I'm Sa-"

"Sarah, how lovely to see you again" Christian's voice cut in sharply, holding none of the warmth it had previously held.

"Christian, let the girl speak for herself! You must forgive him dear, he can't help himself sometimes," Margaret smiled slyly and Satine blushed. "Christian, introduce us!"

"Yes, mama. Mother, Lilieth, meet Sarah Rouge, one of the most famous...writers in Bohemian Paris." His voice broke, and he struggled to get his words out. Satine was slightly perplexed. What was Christian so worried about?

"Sarah, this is my mother Margaret, a-and my fiancée, Lilieth." He looked away, ashamed, his face turning beetroot red.

Satine gazed at Christian's face. Her world had just been pulled out from under her. Her dreams and fantasies of seeing Christian again were shattered with one large hateful blow. Her eyes slid out of focus and blackness enveloped her as she fainted to the floor, one word swimming doggedly around her brain.

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Fiancée

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NOTE: What do you think? Please R&R! I will continue as soon as my fingers stop aching! :)


	3. Almost

**Thanks for all the fabbity comments, in return I've written a brand-spanking new chapter!** 

CHAPTER 3: Almost

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"What happened?" Satine slowly opened her eyes as she felt her body being picked up from the floor. She barely registered what was happening to her when Christian smoothly lifted her into his arms and hurried down the long maze of corridors. Behind him, Satine could faintly hear the anxious chatter of the two females, as they called out to Christian to take her to a certain room, to be careful, and to fetch the maid. Feeling lifeless, Satine let herself fall limp in Christian's arms, while her brain raced yards ahead. She felt the deep dark heavy weight of unconsciousness slip over her skin, but before she allowed herself to succumb to the dark, she whispered three words that only Christian could hear.

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"Come…what…may"

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Christian gazed at the tiny body of Satine. She seemed so much smaller in the large double bed, so different from her usual extravagant height. Her crimson curls spread out in a fan behind her head, and she seemed so fragile, like a china doll. He did nothing but watch; his eyes never moving from her face, while a torrid of feelings and memories coursed around his body.

__

If she dies, I'll never forgive myself

"I am the Hindi courtesan, and I choose the Maharajah"

"Come what may, I will love you, till my dying day…"

She lied _to you, gave her love to someone else_

What if she dies?

His train of thought was cut off by the arrival of his mother, and Lilieth. Margaret, who knew how to deal with this sort of thing, quickly went to Satine's side and waved the smelling salts under her nose, while Lilieth bobbed and fretted and caused a general nuisance. When Satine's crystal blue eyes slowly opened, Christian noticed the disdain in her eyes at the sight of Lilieth. Turning smoothly and calmly to Lilieth, he smiled softly. 

"Lilieth, sweetie, could you get Sarah a drink? I'm sure she's parched after the long journey, and her fainting must have made her so tired." 

Lilieth brightened at his request; she did anything Christian asked, anything. She knew that some people saw her as over-cheerful, but all she wanted to do was to please them. 

"Of course, darling, I'll be right back." With that, she turned on her heel and quickly sped away to the kitchens. 

"How are you feeling now dear?" Margaret helped Satine into a sitting position, her eyes were dazed and she felt sick. 

"I, I'm fine. I'm so sorry to be such a bother; I'll leave you now." Satine tried to stand, but her legs would not co-operate and she fell back on the bed with an unladylike flop. Margaret smiled knowingly, while Lilieth, who clutched a tall glass of water, giggled. Satine shot a venomous look at Lilieth, and then smiled sweetly at Margaret. 

"Oh no, my legs don't seem to want to be going anywhere at this moment, I'm dreadfully sorry." 

"Nothing to be worried about m'dear. Have you anywhere to stay yet?" Satine shook her head; "I thought so. Stay with us, you are more than welcome to be a guest of Christian's, you can even come to the wedding! I'll just call the maid to freshen up a room." 

Satine blanched at the final words. Wedding? She gazed dolefully at Christian, who caught the message immediately. Pasting on a false smile, he indicated that he needed some time alone with Satine. 

"Mama, Lilieth, let us give Sarah some air to breathe! I'm sure she does not appreciate all this clucking about. How about you two go and freshen yourselves for dinner, while I have a chat with Sarah, see how things back in Paris are." 

His eyes held a hidden message, which Margaret saw, and without another word, she hurried Lilieth away, still holding the glass of water. She tried to hand it to Christian, but the door was quickly shut. 

"What are you doing here?" Christian's smile was gone and his voice had lost its affection; it was cold, harsh, unforgiving. 

"I came to see you, actually. Who is she?" Satine's nose wrinkled in disgust; "She's so…snobby and do-gooding. You're marrying her? I can't believe it. Were you married before you came to the Rouge, or are you an actor too?" 

Christian's eyes raged with fury. He strode across to Satine's bedside, and Satine cringed, unsure of what he was going to do. Sensing her fear, Christian dropped his hand from beside his head and turned away. 

"Satine, you lied to me. Why did you come back? Everything here is almost back to how it was." 

"Like it was before me, I suppose? I thought all Englishmen were gentlemen, but I see that they are womanisers too. And to think I thought that we had a future." Satine laughed bitterly; "I thought only women were the corrupt ones, never the men." 

Christian whirled around; his eyes sparkling with unshed tears. "Satine, I do love you! Why did you lie to me about the Duke? Everything was perfect, why? I love you, come what may." 

"The Duke was going to kill you! I couldn't let him hurt you; I would rather die before anyone hurt you." 

Christian's eyes grew round and he flung himself at Satine's bedside, sobbing uncontrollably. Satine stared at Christian's body, and all the arguments, all the anger she had bottled up were slowly dying. She reached out and placed a small pale hand in Christian's black hair, smoothing it, feeling everything she had missed. But something was still unanswered. 

"Lilieth. Who is she and why is she going to" Satine's voice broke "to, be with you?" 

Christian raised his head. He hated himself for not believing Satine, and he hated himself for what he was about to tell her. 

"When I left, my father, he, he disowned me. Wrote me out of the will. He claimed to anyone who asked that I had gone to America for the business. When, I c-came back, he said that to belong to the family again, I had to bring some respect with it. So, he betrothed me to Lilieth Brown. I have to marry her, against my will, for his respect," Christian's sobs wracked his body; "In three days time, I'll be a married man. Satine, I don't know what to do! I waited for you, prayed that you'd come, but then it was too late. Help me, save me from what I have to do." 

Satine exhaled softly. This wasn't what she had expected. She hadn't expected anything like this at all. She gently lifted Christian to her side and she rocked him slowly, smoothing his hair and whispering to him. When he calmed down, he grinned shyly and rubbed his red face.

"You won't tell them what happened, will you?" he blushed, his already red cheeks becoming rosy.

Satine laughed. "My little goose, why would I want to do that? What do we do now?"

Christian checked his watch. "Dinner! We're going to be late, Mama and Lilieth will be expecting us, Father is on a business trip. Satine, have you got any other clothes? Put them on and meet me in half an hour outside you room. I'll take you to dinner then." He smiled, a real smile this time, and helped to lift Satine to her feet.

"Lady Satine, please excuse me while I get ready for dinner." He bowed and Satine clapped and curtsied in return.

"Lady Sarah to your family! Go I haven't got all day, I truly haven't! Half an hour to get ready, I don't believe I can do it."

"With you, anything is possible" Christian softly kissed Satine on the nose, before darting out the room. Satine stood; flabbergasted at what had just happened, and then twirled around. Christian was hers again.

Almost.

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NOTE: More chapters soon! I have a whole big thing planned, so get ready! Glitter x


	4. Dinner Mints

CHAPTER 4: Dinner Mints

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45 minutes after Christian left, Satine emerged from her room. She wore her most basic and formal of dresses, a pale blue affair with a white sash. Her hair was pinned back, with a few small tendrils hanging loose, and as soon as Christian clapped eyes on her, he blushed a rosy red. He'd never seen her look more beautiful. She shone with an elegant radiance that made her sparkle even more than usual. He took her hand and gave it a small kiss, while Satine giggled in return.

"Monsieur Christian, it seems that you are trying to flirt with me! Are we late for dinner, getting ready in such a short time is so unbecoming for me."

Christian grinned, an impish smile that was full of mischief "I told you half an hour, and I told mama an hour, so I could have a little…private time with my guest." He winked, and Satine whacked him with her evening bag.

"Fiend! I was so worried to be late as well! Ooh, you rotten-" her arguments were cut off quickly as Christian grabbed and pulled her into a passionate kiss, revealing all the longing he had held inside for so long. When it was finally ended, both desperately needing oxygen, the pair stared at each other, unable to say or do anything that would prove how much the other was missed. It didn't need words.

From the belly of the house, a small tinkle echoed upstairs. Satine gazed at Christian, who simply muttered "Dinner", before smartening himself up and pasting on his false smile, which Satine had discovered was only used when Lilieth was involved. Peering into the mirror, Satine haggardly tried to powder her flushed face with one hand, while Christian pulled her down the hall with the other. Giving up, she ran alongside until they reached the dining hall's doors. Walking slowly, Satine touched Christian's hand briefly and softly, and then took one step away, not wanting anyone to come to the right conclusion.

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As soon as the elegant double doors were opened, Lilieth sprang from her seat, babbling and causing Satine's head to ache. Now she realised why Christian had a fake smile for Lilieth, it looked like she'd need one too.

"Sarah! You're up! We were so worried; you were unconscious for so long, I didn't know what to think! I must be such a bother, I'll give you some room to breathe."

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Yes, beyond France will be just enough breathing space thank you very much, Satine thought venomously as she took her seat next to Christian. She glanced and saw Margaret sitting at the head of the table, who smiled as if she knew what Satine was thinking. Turning her gaze quickly away, Satine noticed another girl, who looked remarkably like Christian. She had long black hair, misty grey eyes and a mischievous smile to rival Christian's own. 

"You must be Anna" Satine smiled warmly at the young girl, who stared with adoring, intelligent, knowing eyes. _She must know who I am,_ Satine thought, as she spread her napkin on her lap. She didn't have the faintest idea what to expect food-wise, she's only ever eaten French food, which was light and fluffy. But the stuff coming out from the kitchen's looked anything but.

What was placed in front of Satine looked nothing short of _hideous_. It was some sort of animal, garishly decorated with potatoes and green stuff. Pasting on her smile again, she took a small bite, and almost choked on the heavy meat. She barely managed to swallow, before looking up and commenting on her food.

"This is delicious, what is it?"

"Why thank you my dear. It's fresh rabbit, specially cooked with my mother's 'secret recipe'. Would you like some more?"

Satine turned puce. _Rabbit?! As if._

"No, thank you. It's beautiful, but ever so rich! I'm not used to such royal food." She hoped that her lie would pass off as the truth. She peered at Christian, who seemed to be choking, but who was actually laughing. He knew Satine would hate the food; he didn't like it that much himself. 

"So, how did you too meet? I'm dying of curiosity to know!" Lilieth's high-pitched voice grated over Satine's nerves. She smiled wanly, and tried to remember Christian's story from earlier.

"I was at the premiere of a famous Bohemian artist, Toulouse-Lautrec. He's a close friend of mine, and it turns out he met Christian only a few days before. He invited Christian also, and that's how we met." Satine smiled and Christian giggled, which brought strange looks from Anna.

"What's so funny Chrissy?" she had a quiet voice, a voice which everyone would stop to listen to. It held an undercurrent of its own laughter; she knew what was happening and she wanted to make her brother squeal.

"I, err, was just remembering when we met. Toulouse's friend was the one who introduced us, under a bit of a misunderstanding. I thought that Sat-Sarah was one of the courtesans that Toulouse had invited, and Sarah thought I was a painter. It was a very amusing conversation we held then; Sarah talking about art that I knew nothing about and I trying to get away!" he laughed, and was also joined in by Lilieth, who sounded like a pig on helium. Satine snorted and choked again on her meat.

"Oh dear, are you alright?" Anna looked Satine dead in the eye; she liked this 'Sarah' person, even though she didn't really know her.

"Yes, yes fine! It just went down the wrong way, that's all." Whilst everyone was watching Christian do a trick with his water glasses, Satine caught Anna's attention and winked. Anna blushed, then grinned back. Good. She'd made one definite friend.

Soon, all the dinner plates were carried away, and a large sponge cake was placed in the centre of the table, covered with cherries and strawberries and cream. Satine's eyes shone - this was more like it! She quickly cut herself a large piece covered with fruit and hastily, yet daintily, ate it all. Christian watched one eyebrow hitched up high. He had not idea about Satine's sweet tooth. Seeing her eat so much made him smile.

"Tell me, my dear. What is Christian like when he's by himself? When the cat's away, the mice will play." Margaret smiled. She'd already taken to Sarah; she was such a polite, pretty girl. She half-wondered if Christian had got to know her as a lover – they shared so many secret looks; he'd practically forgotten about Lilieth, who sat blissfully shovelling cake in her mouth, while her eyes never left Christian's face.

"Hmm, what secrets can I tell?" Satine smiled slyly, "I do have to admit, he does have a tendency to write at all hours of the day and night!" seeing everyone else's looks, she hurriedly carried on, "I could see from my window, he would sit there night after night typing on his typewriter! I lived in the apartment across the rue, and I tell you, even when he'd gone I could still hear the keys typing away all night!"

Everyone laughed, and Satine knew she'd made it. She had been accepted as one of them. Soon, Anna asked to be excused, and the dinner was finished. The remaining diners stood slowly, while Lilieth rushed over and latched herself onto Christian's arm again.

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Will you be requiring a lead and a collar, Miss? Satine blushed to herself, and walked slowly over to the bay windows. The garden was quiet; the sun was softly slipping into sunset. She glanced around; everyone else had left. Softly opening the doors, Satine hopped along the wet grass until she reached the sun house. Peering inside, Satine softly crept inside. She had no idea why she had gone in there; it had just attracted her, like a moth to a flame.

The door creaked open and Satine gasped, whirling around. Seeing Christian smiling shyly back, it was a fond reminder of a previous meeting they had once shared, during their summer of love. She glanced behind Christian's shoulder, checking for Lilieth.

"Where's Lilieth gone? Poor thing, I don't know how she lasts without you."

"I told her I needed some fresh air in the garden; paranoid girl's afraid that a bug will attack her."

"I wish! A big bug, that will step on her and squish her to pieces."

"Chrissy, don't go saying nasty things about your playmate, Papa wouldn't agree."

Christian gasped. Half hidden, the small body of Anna stood in the shadows, her face unreadable. 

"Anna! Don't do that to me! Scared me half to death, silly girl. I was just showing Sarah the sun house."

"Chrissy, don't play games with me. Who is she?"

Satine gulped. She knew Anna saw further, deeper than their lies had covered them. If Anna was anything like her brother; he wouldn't take no for an answer. It was crunch time.

"I'm Satine, Sparkling Diamond of the Moulin Rouge."

****

NOTE: More chapters soon! What do you think so far? Any ideas on how to improve/what more can happen? Please email me at celynbarry@hotmail.com or AIM me at infatuatedglitz :)


	5. Meanings

CHAPTER 4: Meanings

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The silence that followed was so thick, Satine thought that a knife could slice right through it. She gazed at the small waif of a girl, who held Christian's future in her hands. Christian's eyes were pleading as he stared at his sister, who simply laughed.

"Oh Chrissy! And you call _me_ stupid. I knew she wasn't what you told us, I'm not that dumb. So, she's the Diamond. I always knew you would end up with the best picks. And you sure know how to pick them."

"How dare you!" Christian roared at his sister, who merely brushed it off with a small nod. She stepped forward and started to circle Satine, who suddenly felt like a caged animal at the zoo, being scrutinised from every angle. She decided to go for the utmost truth.

"I'm a courtesan, well, ex-courtesan. There's nothing left of my life before, except some wood and dust. The Moulin Rouge is desolate. As to how we actually met, I fell in love with Christian the minute I saw him, though he didn't know that," Satine giggled, remembering their "Red Room Incident". "He thought I wanted poetry, I thought he wanted sex. But, after a lot of hassle, heartache and threats, I allowed my self to love. Surely you're not going to take that away from me, from us?" Satine's voice was level; yet there was an underlying current of helplessness, of pleading.

Anna stopped, stared, thought. She had noticed her brother's drastic change the minute he came home. His eyes were desperate and lonely, and for the first week he hardly spoke, unless he was spoken too. As soon as he walked in with Sarah, no, Satine, he seemed alive, awake and _happy_. It would break her heart to see him self-destruct.

"Fine. I'll keep your secret. But, what's going to happen to Lilieth? You can't keep acting like this; you're supposed to be getting married in, what, three days? You can't back out of this now, Papa will never forgive you." Anna sighed. "Oh Chrissy, what mess have you got yourself into?"

Christian blinked. He sometimes _really_ hated Anna, it was a brother/sister thing, but sometimes she was so right. It almost unnerved him; she seemed to know so much about what was going on around her. You could never underestimate Anna; she was always seeing things from a different level, and an aspect that no one else saw.

Satine, on the other hand, was dumbfounded. She stood perfectly still for several seconds before throwing her arms around Anna and Christian, enveloping them in a big group hug. She had never felt happier, or freer. Satine held them all there for what seemed like an age, before Christian started wriggling from his lover's firm grip. His eyes shone, but now there was an even bigger problem at hand.

Lilieth.

"What shall we do?" Christian didn't need to explain; that short sentence was enough. Suddenly everyone's mind was in action, trying to think up various ways of trying to get rid of the pest.

"Put her in a cage with giant squashy bugs!"

"Satine!"

"How about just telling her the truth?"

"I think I prefer Satine's way, sorry Anna."

"Give her a giant cake, then run away while she's eating it."

"Ooh, I like that one!"

"Ladies, please, we need _actual_ ideas. Anything which could actually work?"

Silence.

"I thought as much."

Now Satine was getting agitated. She began to pace, up and down the small room, while Anna and Christian began brainstorming ideas. Resulting with nothing, the trio decided to retire for the night. Anna hurried away first; deftly sensing that Satine wanted some 'alone time' with Christian. Crossing the moonlit garden, she giggled. Trust Christian!

Now alone, Satine looked at Christian, and felt an overwhelming bout of shyness overcome her. She was shocked-a courtesan, shy of the only man she loved in the world? Satine grinned and shook her head, that sentence didn't make sense to begin with. Christian cocked his head forward, and looked like an inquisitive puppy.

"Penny for them?"

"Oh, nothing." Satine smiled and walked slowly over to Christian, watching his heated gaze travel up and down her body. She felt like a Goddess, pure and wholesome and loved. Softly, she stood on her tiptoes and brushed her lips across Christian's, tingling with the pleasure that such little contact gave her. Before Christian could get more 'playful', Satine quickly stepped away and out of the small sun house, leaving Christian dumbstruck, and desperate for more. Perfect.

Softly stepping back into the house, Satine was confronted by another obstacle. The way back to her room. She searched frantically for something, anything that might give her a hint about where to go, when the large blonde haired figure of Lilieth appeared in Satine's face. She shrieked, and Lilieth looked shocked.

"Oh dear, are you all right?" Not waiting for an answer, Lilieth grabbed Satine's arm and practically dragged her along the corridors, to where Satine prayed her room would be. "The cold isn't good for you, especially when you just fainted! I can't bear going out; there are all sorts of nasty things about, bugs and whatnot! I wonder where Chrissy has gone, have you seen him?"

Satine shrugged and cringed at the same time, making her look hunched and unladylike. When Anna said it, Chrissy sounded perfectly normal, but when Lilieth said it, it made Christian sound like some sort of dumb puppy. Suddenly a thought sprang to her mind.

"Have you and Christian, I mean, have you ever…?" Satine let her voice trail off, hoping that Lilieth would work out what she was trying to say. She did. Her face, which was always a very red colour, turned beetroot, and Satine was scared that she would do something outrageous, like explode.

"Oh, you devilish thing! That's unthinkable, we're not even married yet!" Whilst Lilieth continued to babble, Satine smiled to herself. By the sound of things, Christian hadn't even _kissed_ her. Soon, Satine saw the mirror she had been trying to powder her face with, and gracefully, yet forcefully, pulled her arm from Lilieth's hold. Smiling wanly, she hurriedly said goodnight, before slamming the door and laughing so hard that tears were running down her cheeks and she was short for breath.

Once she had shakily regained her posture, Satine rummaged around her bag for some night clothes and tried to unsuccessfully untie her corset. A shy knock came from the door, and Satine whirled around, holding up her night dress in an effort to hide her modesty. When the door was slowly opened, and Christian stood there as red as a tomato, Satine grinned and dropped her dress and revealed her corset. Christian grinned and closed the door softly behind him.

"Hmm." Christian walked around Satine, and nodded thoughtfully, "That corset. No! I simply cannot see it on you."

Satine gasped, "Monsieur, are you suggesting? With family members in the house?" Her eyes shone.

"Ah, sweet mademoiselle. This is the guest wing. Family members and staff are on the other side of the house. Meaning, that no one can hear us, we can do whatever we want…"

He stepped closer, and Satine shivered self-consciously. She'd never seen Christian act so dominantly before. She loved it. She gazed into his shadowy grey eyes and kissed him passionately, while his hands raked through her hair. Gasping for breath, Satine giggled.

"Isn't this a wonderful place for a…poetry reading?"

Christian kissed her in reply.


	6. Consequences

Chapter 6: Consequences 

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The morning sun was streaming into the bright room by the time Satine was awake. She stretched languidly like a cat across the rumpled sheets of the giant bed, and whimpered softly with she saw that Christian was gone. Gathering up the sheets, Satine rolled herself up into a ball and snuggled down for a quick snooze until it was time for breakfast It was only 7:25, according to the clock by Satine's bedside, and breakfast wasn't served until 8:30. She was just about to fall back into a beautiful dream of Christian when a hammering at the door caused Satine to shriek and sit bolt upright in bed.

"Sarah! We have to be going to town soon! It's such a long way, so breakfast will be in fifteen minutes! Sarah? Are you awake?" the doorknob jiggled, and Satine desperately wished for Lilieth to go away. 

"Yes, Lilieth dear! I shall be down in a few minutes, could you send Christian up to help me find my way?"

"Of course Sarah! I will see you there!" Satine sat rigid until she heard Lilieth footsteps click-clack down the wooden hallway. She rubbed her eyes and moaned. Fifteen minutes to get dressed! Half an hour had seemed ridiculous yesterday! Yawning, Satine dragged herself out of the comforts of her bed to the bathroom, to inspect her face and hair.

"Oh my God. What did I do to deserve this?" Satine moaned and leant her head against the mirror. Her eyes were red, she was shattered and it would take a whole tub load of makeup to get her looking halfway near decent. It was a disaster. Sighing, Satine rummaged around in her makeup bag to find her concealer. If she couldn't get rid of the awful face, she could hide it at least.

Just as Satine finished applying a final coat of red lipstick, a smart knock at the door caused Satine to jump and run her lipstick halfway up her cheek. She shrieked indignantly and rushed to the door, and prepared to shout at whoever it was with all she had. When she saw Christian standing there, gazing bemusedly at her red-streaked face, all she could do was laugh side-splitting laughs that threatened to make her wet herself.

"I take it that mademoiselle is not yet ready?" he never expected her to be; he'd almost laughed out loud when his mother asked what time Satine would be up. When she was in bed with him, they could have stayed there all day, and sometimes they did, getting up barely an hour before Satine was due onstage. Satine grabbed his hand and yanked him inside, closing the door quickly and smothering his face in kisses.

"You _*kiss*_ must _*kiss*_ help me _*kiss*_ get ready _*kiss*_ damn Lilieth _*kiss*_ " Finally breaking off her stream of kisses, Satine stood back and inspected her handiwork. Now, Christian's face was covered with red kiss-marks and his one cheek had an identical stripe to Satine's.

"Oh dear, you seem to have some lipstick on your face. You _can't _go downstairs like that, whatever would Lilieth say!" Christian rolled his eyes while Satine poked out her tongue. "I also need some help with a certain corset that you almost broke yesterday pulling out those strings, fiend!" This time Christian's entire face turned cherry-pink. Satine laughed; this was going to be a good day.

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Five minutes later, Satine emerged from her room, followed by a starry-eyed Christian. Satine had chosen a simple pale lemon affair; it seemed that Marie knew the fashions of London. Grinning at Christian, Satine hooked her arm around his and marched proudly into breakfast, where they were met with two pairs of smiling eyes; Margaret's were motherly and Anna's were grinning. Lilieth's, however, were fiery at the sight of _her_ husband-to-be making googly eyes over his guest! Satine seemed to notice and slipped away from Christian's side, choosing to sit by Anna, who couldn't seem to look anyone in the eye.

"Good morning everyone, I hope I have not kept you all waiting." Satine smiled a pearly white, and she daintily spread her napkin across her lap. She hoped that breakfast wasn't as horrible as yesterday's dinner!

"Good morning my dear! In honour of our special French guest, I sent Cook out to buy some real French breakfast items! Was I right in saying that croissants, baguettes and fruit were popular?"

Were they just! Satine's eyes grew huge and she almost jumped up and down.

"You have brilliant knowledge Mrs. James!"

Margaret smiled, "Please call me Margaret. I'm glad I was right, my memory isn't as good as it used to be…the mail has arrived. Clara, will you get that for me?"

The maid who answered the door to Satine yesterday bobbed her head and ran out of the door. When she returned, Satine noticed a large cream envelope. She was intrigued, but managed to keep her head down low and to eat her croissants without causing a huge mess. Anna picked daintily at her food, while Christian ate like he had become accustomed to. Lilieth however, did not have the faintest idea and tried all sorts of different methods cutting, tearing, and even lifting it all and taking a bite! Satine thought she would explode with silent laughter.

"Children! We have been invited to a dinner party tonight! How exciting! Your Father should be back by then too; shall we go?"

"Yes! I mean, oh dear, please, I feel like a fool now" Satine blushed crimson, her cheeks matching her hair, and Christian laughed. Satine could never resist a time to get dressed up!

"My dear, if you are feeling well enough, we shall certainly go! It sounds exquisite; I'm rather excited myself! Will you have something to wear?"

Satine furrowed her brow and tried to remember what Marie had packed. "I think so, yes, I have the perfect dress" Her red one sprang to mind the one she had worn the day she met Christian. A London dressmaker had made it, and Satine knew it would be perfect.

"Then it is settled! After getting Lilieth's dress, we shall prepare for the party!"

Satine beamed. How exciting! A real party, with real ladies and gentlemen, who would accept her as a noblewoman, not just a courtesan. It seemed too magical.

"Sarah, will you be my bridesmaid?" Lilieth blurted out, spraying flaky crumbs over Satine's dress. She grimaced, then brightened, then dimmed again. A bridesmaid! How wonderful! But, for Christian's wedding! She needed to keep up appearances, so she accepted.

"How wonderful! I have the best two bridesmaids in the world!" Lilieth was like an over-hyper puppy, and Anna giggled quietly into her lap. She was also bridesmaid, so it would be even more fun with Satine!

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When breakfast was ended, everyone stood and hurried into the carriage waiting for them. Margaret sat amongst Anna and Christian, while Satine was squashed up against Lilieth. At least she had a good view of Christian's face. The carriage jiggled off, and Satine felt sick yet again. Noticing her pale face, Margaret took control.

"Sarah, dear. How about we swap places? Anna can sit next to Christian and you can sit next to him by the window."

Satine nodded groggily in agreement and shuffled next to Christian. She snuggled up slyly and braced herself as they went over another large bump, and prayed for the journey to end.

After the journey had ended, Satine leaned heavily onto Christian as he helped her slowly out of the carriage. Lilieth and Anna had bounded up to the window of the bridal shop and were cooing over the dresses. Satine barely registered them as Christian carried her inside, while Margaret looked on.

__

Poor child, those roads are awful to the fragile ones. She noticed how protective Christian was of his "guest" and how Sarah depended on him; they were extremely close.

Laying her on the chaise lounge, Satine lay perfectly still as her brain spun in circles. It didn't help that the room she was in was icy-cold, making her head scream in protest. When the spinning finally died down, Satine opened one eye and gazed at Lilieth's dress. It was beautiful, pure white, cascades of shimmery lace and a train that seemed to go on forever. Satine felt like a crushing weight had been thrown on her, along with a bucket of ice cold water. She unsteadily pushed herself to her feet and ran out of the shop, leaving everyone dumbstruck. Christian gazed at the open door for what seemed like an age, until his mother softly poked his back and whispered into his ear,  
"I think you'd better see what's wrong."

Christian raced out of the shop, and searched up and down the bright street. It was full of ladies and noblewomen wearing many layers of clothing carrying little umbrellas that were blocking his view, but Christian saw a small figure huddled in the alleyway opposite the bridal store. Coming closer, he saw that it was indeed Satine, who looked tired, haggard and still quite ill. Not wanting to cause a scene so close to his mother's watching eyes, he softly picked up Satine's limp figure and carried her down to the depths of the alley. He set her down on an old discarded bridal box and gazed into her eyes.

"Satine, what's the matter?"

Satine whimpered. "That could have been me. I could be your blushing bride-to-be; I could have been your betrothed. Why is life so hateful?"

"Satine, darling. You will still be my bride, even though you might not be a blushing one," Satine managed a watery smile; "We will get married, somewhere much nicer than this place, I promise. Cheer up, we have a party to go to tonight! Maybe I could lose Lilieth for a little while to the buffet." Christian winked and Satine softly giggled. "That's my girl. Remember, the show must go on, and it will end our way, you got that?" Satine nodded slowly, and Christian helped her back to the bridal shop.

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Christian never wanted to see another piece of lace again in his life. Throughout the day he'd been shown numerous wedding items, lacey bits and ruffle upon ruffle until he felt sick. Satine, after their little talk, had become brighter and had spent the day arguing over what colour dress the bridesmaids should have. When they drove back home, Satine felt ill again, so Christian took her back to her room and spent over an hour talking to her, making her laugh and smothering her with kisses. He finally left her to get some sleep and as he walked back down the corridor, Anna's face popped into view.

"Anna! Don't do that!"

"Cry baby. I just thought I'd do the sisterly thing and tell you that Papa is home now. He arrived about ten minutes ago, and he wishes to see you about Satine."

"Anna…" Christian let his words dangle menacingly.

"Oh, sorry, Sarah. Do apologise. You'd better go and see Papa, he's waiting."

Anna primly tiptoed off and Christian grimaced. _Great._ Just what he needed. A big long talk with his Father, followed by the 3rd degree over Satine. He reached his Father's study and knocked. A gruff sound that sounded like 'come in' came through the door, so Christian stepped inside to welcome his Father.

Mr. James was like a grey giant. His huge beard hid most of his face, and he was so tall, he made even Christian feel two again. Motioning for him to site down, Mr. James began his speech.

"So, boy, you're home still. Wedding's in two days need I remind you? That party tonight will give you a good chance to show off to the neighbours, bring some respect to the family." Christian inwardly grinned. His father had an obsession with respect. "No going off with other girls, do you hear me? Also, who is this Sarah girl I'm hearing so much about? No a whore from that Moulin Rouge is she?"

Christian paled slightly and adjusted his collar. "Father, Sarah is a close friend of mine, a journalist from Paris. She's very highly known and respected there," _mention the respect, good boy; _"She's a lovely girl, Mama likes her, and she's Lilieth's newest bridesmaid."

Mr. James pondered for a few minutes, while Christian squirmed under his gaze. Finally, his father gave a shooing motion with his hand, and Christian bolted for the door. 

"Christian?"

__

Oh no. "Yes, Father?"

"Be a good lad tonight, show me that I have brought you up well."

"Err, yes father."

Christian slammed the door behind him and leaned against it heavily. Now he had his father being nice to him for the first time in forever, and he was lying under his nose! It was typical. Not wanting to be seen for a while, Christian retired to his room and dreamed of Satine.

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Satine was having her worst nightmare. Her makeup wasn't going on properly, her hair was a mess and her red dress was creased to hell and back. Giving up completely, Satine threw herself facedown onto her bed and shrieked. A timid knock at the door caused Satine to jump for the third time that day, and she's had enough.

"Who is it?"

"Um…the maid, miss. Will you be needing any assistance for this evening ma'am?"

Satine's eyes glowed. Her own personal maid to help me! Finally, someone was hearing her pleas.

"Yes, please, do come in Clara."

The maid slid in, glowering with the fact that the beautiful Parisian lady even remembered her name. Seeing her dishevelled features, Satine offered a weak grin, "I'm going to need some help getting ready tonight."

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Thirty seconds before the family were to leave; Satine was just about finished. Clara had done a wonderful job; she knew exactly what to do with everything. Satine marvelled at her knowledge of hairstyles, dresses and makeup of the time. Tonight, Satine wore her most precious red outfit, with her hair loose around her head and a smidgen of makeup. When Christian knocked on the door, Satine twirled in front of him while he practically salivated all over the floor. Fetching her things for the night, Satine noticed Clara gazing sadly at Satine's beautiful outfits. 

"Have one, if you want. That blue one should just about fit you."

Clara almost fainted. Her, a maid, being given a beautiful gown from a Lady? It was unreal.

"Oh, no miss, I couldn't! They're yours…" her voice trailed off wistfully.

"Don't be such a goose! Take one, but make sure to hide it!" Satine grabbed the dress and thrust it into Clara's arms, air-kissed her and ran out of the room with Christian staring stupidly after her. Clara looked at the dress. It was a simple blue one, decorated with pearls and lace. Clara felt like royalty.

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Skidding to a halt, Christian bumped into Satine as he careered around the corridor. Several bemused looks and one very large frown met him.

"Christian"

"Sorry, father. These floors are quite slippery, and I didn't want to keep everyone waiting."

Satine stared at Christian's father. What an ogre! He was huge, almost a giant, covered with grey curly hair. He reminded her of an old sheep.

"You must be Sarah."

Satine blushed and held out her hand. He gave her a look-over and then kisses her outstretched hand lightly. He must have liked what he saw.

"Everyone, into the carriages please! Your father and I will take the first one, Anna and Lilieth and second and Sarah and Christian the third, due to Sarah's poor illness." Margaret bustled about like a headless chicken, checking things and moving everyone outside into the waiting carriages. Satine was glad to be in a private one with Christian. Even though she would probably feel sick throughout the journey, having Christian there would make her feel better.

"You going to be okay?" Christian sat himself next to Satine and nuzzled her neck. He didn't like to see his Diamond looking ill.

"Fine, darling, just a bit queasy. I hope it's not far away."

The carriages set off and Satine clamped her mouth shut tight. Talking made her feel even worse, and she didn't want to be trying to wash her dress if she'd been sick on it. Instead, she huddled up to Christian and closed her eyes, waiting for the nightmare ride to end.

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The ride was unbearably long, and Satine was in desperate need for some water and a hammer to bash her skull in with. When the carriage finally did stop, Christian breathed a sigh of relief and helped Satine out, whose features were deathly pales under her makeup. Everyone else soon joined them, and they walked up the steps to the biggest house Satine had ever seen. It made Christian's mansion look like a cubby-hole, and her elephant like a seashell! There was a large bustle of feathers and hats at the doors, and Satine realised that the owner was probably welcoming them all individually. She pasted on her 'happy face' and prepared to become the bright and bubbly 'Sparkling Diamond' who she'd almost forgotten about. Christian gave Satine's hand a quick squeeze and stood behind his father who was shaking hands with the host.

"Nice of you to invite us, Duke"

Satine and Christian froze like rabbits stuck in headlights. It couldn't be, could it? Barely breathing, they stood next in line to shake hands, while Mr. James introduced them all.

"My wife, Margaret, my daughter Anna, my son Christian, his fiancée Lilieth and our guest, Sarah."

"A pleasure" Satine nearly fainted. That voice was unique, no one could speak in such whiny nasally tones. She pasted on her smile along with Christian and held out her hand, which had taken by a slimy bony one.

"My dear, how nice to meet you."

It was the Duke.


	7. Pleading

Chapter 7 – Pleading 

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Satine was forcing several different feelings away as the Duke kissed her hand. Repulsion, horror, panic, illness, anxiety and a huge desire to lift up her skirts and to just _run_. The Duke lifted his head, and Satine could see, even feel the utter hatred that lay there. Not wanting to cause uproar, the Duke simply dropped Satine's hand and grabbed Christian's a little more tightly than was usually known as a handshake.

Margaret could feel the ice and flames around them, the ice cold of hatred and the red hot of anger. She didn't know what had been going on, but she smoothly managed to haul Christian and Satine inside, around the corner behind the elaborate staircase to the coatroom.

"Will you mind telling me what has been going on? How did you know the Duke? Give me no lies, Christian, I though I'd brought you up better than that."

Satine glanced at Christian, and held his hand. She hadn't wanted to lie to Margaret, and she felt an odd wave of relief spread over her.

"I'm not Sarah Rouge. I am Satine Rouge, the Sparkling Diamond of the Moulin Rouge. Christian and I…we're in love. We have tried to tell you, we've tried to find a time to be honest. The Duke was to marry me, he was to invest in the Moulin Rouge, but then I met Christian. The Duke didn't know for ages, but then he found out, and he tried to kill us. On the night of the show, I left France to find Christian. When I arrived he was to be married. I was going to leave, but I fainted…" Satine's voice trailed off, and she gulped.

Margaret shook her head. She knew it. Of course she'd known it. Sarah was really Satine. The one girl who Edward James had forbidden anyone to mention in the house, under any circumstances. Her son, her only son, had fallen for the star. The unbelievable thing was, she'd fallen for him too. Margaret saw that now Satine looked even happier, more beautiful now because the truth was out. Amidst her anger, she felt a small bubble of motherly pride. Her son, and the star. It was absurd to even _think_ of them getting together, with Edward's permission. But, it was so poetic, so…_bohemian_.

"Oh Christian, Satine. What are we going to do now then? Edward will surely find out sooner or later, and oh dear goodness, Lilieth! What are we going to do with her?"

Christian let his eyes brighten. "You mean, you won't tell? I can be with Satine?"

"Yes, you can be with Satine. A mother's blessing is worth twice as much as a father's. But, your father will never approve, you know how many times he's gone on about Satine!" Margaret noticed Satine's amused grin, "Sorry, dear, you were a big of a household name before Christian left, his father was continually raging about the "evil" courtesans. But, Lilieth…I haven't got a single idea. People are starting to get suspicious, we'd better split up for a while, and you two had better keep out of the Duke's way." Margaret bustled off, shaking hands and greeting more newcomers.

Satine sighed, "Why do I have the feeling that this isn't going to be a mingling party, with me being the dazzling star?"

Christian kissed her forehead softy, "Because we're not at the Moulin Rouge, these people aren't paying, plus there's an insane Duke trying to kill us. C'mon, hiding in here isn't looking well."

Satine allowed herself to be pulled along, while she gracefully sauntered among the bourgeoisie of London. Now she wished she hadn't worn such an outrageous dress. People were appreciating it, yes, but matched with her hair, she was a beacon for the Duke to spot her.

Suddenly finding himself at the small buffet table, Christian grabbed some nibbles, while Satine stood at his side, keeping an anxious lookout while also showing off her beautiful figure. Glancing around, Christian noticed Lilieth slyly piling sandwiches and expensive biscuits into her pockets. Noticing Christian, she raised a podgy hand and waved, knocking over two drinks in the process. She waddled over and artfully hooked her arm around his. Satine grimaced and tiptoed away, the day had gone sour enough without Lilieth arriving.

"Darling, look at that hat! Isn't it hideous?" Lilieth exclaimed loudly, pointing to a pillar box red feathered hat, and receiving hateful glares. Christian cringed, and managed to slide his arm out of Lilieth'' vice-like grip. No chance. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut and prayed for a miracle.

"Oh dear, I'm _dreadfully _sorry! Here, let me help you out." Anna's sweet voice cut clearly across the older babble. While Christian had had his eyes shut, Anna had swiftly picked up a glass of red win and had _"tripped"_ up, spilling the contents down Lilieth's dress. The dress was ruined; Lilieth gave a large sniff and ran off to the bathrooms, with Anna following, continually saying sorry. She turned her head before she left and winked and Christian, who gave her the thumbs up back. Now, he loved his sister. 

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Two men with top hats and enormous handlebar moustaches were trying to remember where they had seen Satine before. They each held large brandy glasses, and Satine prayed that the foul smelling stuff was strong enough to make them forget. Looking downwards, Satine lowered her voice an octave and sped off, bumping straight into Christian.

"You won't believe what happened! Two men remembered me!"

"Lilieth's dress is ruined!"

Satine giggled. Things had brightened then, but directly behind Christian, she could see the Duke talking animatedly with a group of men with cigars in their hands. Satine was going to bolt for it, when the dinner bell rang, and the crowd pulled the pair along to the dining room.

There were at least a hundred chairs, alongside an elaborate table covered with cutlery and candelabras. The Duke sat down first, and Satine chose the two seats at the opposite end, as far away as she could go. Everyone was seated, when Lilieth skid in, followed shortly by Anna. Lilieth's dress had previously been pale yellow, but now it had an ugly red streak down it. Satine felt quite sorry for the girl, the expensive dress was ruined. Seating themselves in the only available spaces, Anna sat between her parents, while Lilieth was next to the pillar box hatted lady, who glared hatefully. Lilieth managed a watery smile.

The food was served, and Satine was surprised to find lots of beautiful French foods. She dug in gratefully, and for a while everything was calm and good. When not eating, Christian and Satine kept their hands linked under the table. They needed each other's strength to get through the meal. Satine slowly raised her one hand and secretly pulled out a hairgrip. She deftly pushed it into Christian's pocket; her years as a thief were not worthless. Christian didn't even acknowledge it.

When everything was taken away, Satine hoped that this was the chance to escape. Instead, the Duke lit a cigar and began to talk. She was about to switch off, when she caught a few words.

"…thought she was a star…Zidler…"

Christian froze. He wasn't. Of course he was. How better could he attack them both, by regaling everyone else with stories of the Moulin Rouge? It was a sly, devious trick, but it worked. Satine felt her breathing become shallow and Christian kept his eyes glued to the table. They both tried to ignore him, but his voice, that nasally whiny voice became louder and louder.

"She thought she was a star! An actress, would you believe it? Nothing more than a courtesan, and a bad one at that! Beautiful girl, very place skin and vivid red hair, not much else though." The audience chortled, a mixed concoction of whinnying laughs and deep grunts. "The beau she ran off with, I've seen a piece of lettuce with more life! He was supposed to be talented too, the "play" he wrote was nothing more than a soppy love story gone wrong! Zidler had a lot of trust in those two, his darling courtesan and his amazing new talent. They both have closed the Moulin Rouge down!"

A spattering of claps went around the table, mostly from the women who were glad that their husbands couldn't go anymore, while the men tried to clap, but just looked crestfallen.

"But, my friends, where are they now? Cruising down a river? Hiding in an alleyway? Living a royal life eating dinner? I hope that they know what they've done."

The table was silent. Satine shook with red hot anger, and all she wanted to do most in the world was to march up there and to slap the Duke so hard that he'd never be able to blink ever again. Christian grabbed Satine's hand and squeezed it tightly, rubbing his thumb over her cool skin.

Slowly, people began to move away from the dining table, and Satine relaxed slightly. She felt sick, from terror and exhaustion, and she collapsed heavily in her chair. Christian looked at her in alarm; his beautiful diamond was dimming. He reached for a glass of water and gently helped Satine to drink it. The cool liquid soothed her, but what she really wanted to do now was to go home. Most people were now anyway, so it's hopefully wouldn't look suspicious.

"Christian, can we go home?" her voice came out soft and childlike.

"Yes, darling. I'll go and find Anna, mama will let us take one of the carriages with us."

"Don't leave me." Satine whimpered as Christian slowly stood up.

"It's okay Satine. Everyone else has gone, the room is empty, see? I'll be just a few minutes, I promise." He kissed her hot forehead gently, and then left the room in search of Anna and Margaret.

Satine dozed. Her head ached, she felt weak, but the firm grip of terror still help her tightly. Slowly easing herself into a sitting position, she slowly stood up and turned around, coming face to face with the Duke, holding a gun.

"My dear, we have so much to catch up on, would you like to come with me?"

"No!" Satine's voice came out at barely a whimper, and she felt something being pressed over her mouth. It smelt sour, but before she could reach, the world went back and she fell to the floor.

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Christian's panic was feverish. He searched in vain, but he couldn't find his mother, Anna, Lilieth or even his father. He searched the full bustling rooms and found no one, so he decided to go back to Satine and just leave.

The dining hall corridor was empty. Christian felt a shiver of anticipation run up his spine, but it wasn't a good sign. He'd almost reached the door, when he heard a creak behind him. He whirled around, and felt something hit his head. He cried out, but everything turned to black.


	8. Crossroads

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*aha* Now, because I wasn't sure what sort of ending to do, you can choose!

Chapter 9 – "Heroes" is a **Happy Ending**

Chapter 10 – "True Love" is a **Sad Ending**

Take your pick!

Both ending are similar, but the *duh* ending will be different!

Diamonds, Absinthe and Bohemian Ideals,

Celyn // Glitter's Infatuation

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	9. Heroes

Chapter 9 – Heroes

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The pain, the aching pain… Christian woke up groggily and reached a hand to gingerly touch the back of his head. His hand came away sticky and crimson in colour. He felt sick, but then he realised what was wrong.

__

Where's Satine?

The words came to him as if he already knew them.

__

The Duke has her.

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Satine opened her eyes slowly, the bright light making her wince from the pain. She tried to move, but found that she was tied to a chair, he hands and feet bound tightly with a thick rope that cut painful lacerations. A gag was over her mouth, and she could still taste the bittersweet flavour of the chloroform on her tongue. 

"You're awake, my sweet. I thought Warner had been a bit generous with the amount he gave you." The Duke circled the chair, his fingers sliding over Satine's soft skin. She jerked away, and he laughed. He pulled away her gag and tried to kiss her. Satine pulled away harshly, her hands cutting sharply.

"My dear, I wouldn't do that if I were you. I don't want my wife to have been beaten into this." 

"I'll never be your wife. Get yourself a prostitute." Satine spat at him. 

"I already have." 

Poker fire bolts of anger raced up her body. 

"I'm Christian's wife." 

"Highly unlikely. I do remember Edward James saying something along the lines of you being a guest, and that pig of a woman Lilieth the fiancée? You were just an annoyance, a house guest."

The Duke's fingers left her body and the ice-cold tip of the gun replaced them. Satine whimpered softly.

"You be my wife, I let Christian go. You disagree, you both die." The Duke's voice was level, yet the undertone of hatred bubbled slightly higher to the surface.

"I would rather die than be your wife."

"So it shall be."

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The room was small, with only one tiny window on the one wall. Peering outside, Christian noticed that it was a long way down. 

__

I must be on the top floor he noted to himself, as he walked over to the door, which was locked from the outside. He tried banging, shouting, even screaming, but no one came. Christian jammed his hands into his pockets in frustration and yelped as his left came into sharp contact with something. He pulled it out, and almost did a cartwheel when he saw it was a hairgrip.

__

Satine must have thought he might do something, my angel! He quickly stuck the grip into the lock and fiddled for a few minutes, until the tell tale sound of the lock began to come undone. Christian became more panicked and he harshly turned the grip, snapping it and making the door pop open. Punching the air with his fist, Christian noticed that there was no one guarding his door. He slowly slipped down the stairs, only one thought in his mind.

__

Satine

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The Duke raised the gun and whipped it across Satine's face, splitting her lip and bruising her cheek. She sobbed, the tears mingling with the blood, while the Duke simply laughed and polished his gun. He continued to march proudly around his courtesan, revelling in her frightened and lonely state. This was justice, for what she had done to him. Betrayed him with a penniless poet, a writer who would never amount to anything. She had snubbed a Duke, with power and money, for _nothing_. 

She chose nothing; she would die with nothing.

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Christian raced down the staircases. His breathing was shallow, his chest ached and burned, but he kept on running, determined to get to Satine. He reached the second floor, and was met by a very angry Lilieth.

"Christian James where have you been?" she screeched, her voice demanding attention from everyone around.

"Not now Lilieth!"

"Yes, NOW! I come here as your fiancée, and you go swanning off with that tramp Sarah! How dare you!"

Christian's temper broke. He grabbed Lilieth and pushed her to the side, making her fall among the flowerpots. She shrieked as he continued running down the stairs.

"This wedding is OFF!" 

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Satine shook. The last few weeks were beginning to take its toll on her, and she gasped for breath, her eyes sliding out of focus and her head lolling. The Duke merely walked off, leaving Satine in a comatose state. He opened the door to exit, and was met by an enraged Christian.

"Oh, it's you." The Duke sniffed, raising the gun, "wanted to join us did you? Now you can see you beloved die."

The Duke turned and aimed the gun at Satine. Christian took his chance and grabbed the armed hand, raising it upwards. The gun went off, a mini explosion and a small tuft of pain shards fell from the ceiling. The Duke was stronger then Christian had expected, and he quickly pushed Christian to the floor, where he skidded to Satine's feet. The Duke stood at the doorway, laughing maniacally, his sanity gone like a wisp of smoke.

"I will love you till my dying day eh? Now then, that day will be."

Christian shook as the gun went off, whistling through the air. Pain erupted in his arm, and he saw in alarm an impossible amount of shiny blood pour from the wound. Another gunshot went off, followed by a large thudding noise. Opening his eyes from the pain, Christian saw the Duke's body on the floor. Wincing, he pulled himself up and saw Satine unconscious. Christian dragged himself past the Duke's body and howled from the pain. Margaret's face appeared at the top of the stairs, white with panic and alarm. She quickly flew down to her son and saw Satine, followed by the Duke. She called out for help, for anyone who cared to help her son and his wife.

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Two months later, all was peaceful and dark.

"Are you sure we should be doing this?"

"Hush Satine! Yes, I am sure. I've left Mama a note, and Anna's got the new address. We'll be fine."

Christian peered around the corner. The coast was clear. He quickly motioned for Satine to follow him with his good arm, and slid out the front door. Satine hurried behind with her small bag, filled with only three dresses and tiny items. She gasped when she saw two small eyes peering out from the darkness, and Clara appeared, wearing the blue dress Satine had given her.

"Are you going, miss?"

"Yes, Clara, we're going back to Paris. You won't say anything, will you?"

"'Course not ma'am." Clara smiled.

"My dresses are still in the wardrobe, take them if you want."

"Me, miss? I couldn't!"

"You took the last one didn't you?" Clara grinned. "Be a good girl, and look after them for me." Then she was gone.

Christian stood at the end of the street, hopping from one foot to the other.

"Sa-tine! Come one! We'll be late for the train!"

"Alright, alright!" Satine laughed and stood on her tip-toes to give Christian a kiss. "Fuss pot."

"It's because I love you."

"I knew that"

"Snob"

Satine whacked Christian with her bag, and laughed. They were going back to Paris, away from the Duke, away from Lilieth and away from the Moulin Rouge. She held her hand to her slightly swollen stomach and smiled softly.

They would be a family. 


	10. True Love

Chapter 10 – True Love

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Satine's head ached as she finally came around. The chloroform that she had been given was still working, and her head felt groggy and weak. She glanced around and noticed that her hands and feet were bound to a chair with which cutting rope. She tried to wriggle free, but she was held tightly.

"You're up! Good, the wedding can go ahead as planned."

The Duke's high-pitched voice carried across the empty room to Satine. Her head whipped up, and she moaned as pain echoed across her brain.

"Wedding?"

"Yes, my darling, our wedding."

Satine's head became clearer. Wedding? NO!

"I won't marry you, Christian will save me."

"I don't think so." The Duke laughed. "You're beloved knight is dead, m'dear. Disposed of. Gone. Forver."

Pain and anguish exploded over Satine. She cried, choking sobs that make her shake. She threw her head back and howled, crying for Christian, crying for her. Now, she had nothing left to live for. She had to use her only lifeline. The Duke.

When her sobs subsided, she raised her bloodshot eyes to the Duke's and imagined trying to live with him. She felt sick, and Satine knew that she had to make the Duke believe.

"I, I will." Satine lowered his head in defeat.

"Good girl. Now, let's go upstairs and get you sorted out." The Duke slowly untied the bonds that held Satine to the chair, and helped her up. Once she was standing, Satine whirled around and slapped the Duke across the face. The effect was instant. His eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed to the floor. Satine ran to the wall and lay weakly against it. She'd done it. She'd hit the Duke. She'd have to move fast, as she knew that as soon as the Duke woke up, she would be dead.

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Christian pounded on the door that held him prisoner. His hands were blistering from banging and his voice ached painfully when he tried to breathe. Giving up hope, Christian slid to the floor, his hands in his pocket. 

Something there…there was something there!

Christian grabbed the unknown object and whooped loudly. A hairgrip! He tried to jimmy the lock on the door, but it snapped in his hand. He sighed in defeat, but then continued to shout and bang. Satine must have known something was going to happen, if she'd given him that. He mustn't give up. 

He couldn't give up.

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Satine raced up the stair, two at a time. She reached the second floor stairwell and was met with a very impatient Lilieth.

"Sarah! Where is Chrissy?"

"His name is _Christian_ and I don't know." Satine gritted her teeth and tried to push past. It was no use.

"Sarah! I demand that you tell me where Chrissy is! You've been all over him tonight like a moth to a flame, you surely must have an idea! He should have been with me, as my husband-to-be, but instead he went off with YOU!"

Satine gave up and pushed Lilieth hard. She fell to the floor, her cheeks flaming red. Satine smiled wanly and continued up the staircase.

"Tell Chrissy when you see him that it's OVER!"

"His name is CHRISTIAN!" Satine yelled back as she continued in her search.

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Satine was getting tired. There were hundreds of rooms, and as she searched, her hope grew dimmer. Standing on the fifth floor landing, Satine tried a new tactic.

"CHRISTIAN!"

From the next level, Christian heard his name faintly being called. He started banging and shouting louder than ever, his chest on fire and his hands aching.

"SATINE! I'm here! I'm up here!"

Satine could have danced. Christian was alive! She pounded up the stairs and stopped outside the door, which sounded the loudest inside. She searched around and found a key on the table next to the door, and slowly heaved the heavy iron key into the door. It was rusty, but Satine slowly twisted it, while Christian called out from inside.

__

Click.

The door opened slowly, and Satine flew to Christian, smothering him with kisses. They stood still for several seconds, just smiling at each other, when the click of a gun was heard from behind them.

"How romantic."

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Christian held his arm protectively around Satine. The Duke's face was bright red, and a small trickle of blood seeped from the side of his head. The gun shook unsteadily in his hand, as the Duke tried to keep hold of his sanity.

"MY way! This show will end my way, with the courtesan and the sitar player dying. The Maharajah will not tolerate any bad behaviour in his kingdom."

A noise from behind him caused the Duke to turn and his finger in the trigger slipped. The gun went off with a resounding bang, and it whistled through the air as it met its target.

Satine slid to the floor.

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"No, no, no…you can't leave me Satine, I can't go on without you."

"Yes, my darling, you can and you will. You must tell our story, let everyone know about our love."

The Duke lay in a heap on the floor. Standing in the doorway was Margaret, Anna and Edward. Christian took no notice, and he began to kiss Satine's fingertips softly.

"My angel, you can't go. I need you!"

Satine whimpered the pain was incredible.

"Come what may, remember?"

Christian nodded, the tears flowing down his cheeks.

"The show must go on, Christian. Remember that."

Her breathing became shallow, and Christian whimpered. He leaned down and kissed Satine softly, just once, before crying openly into her hair, as Satine's breathing slowly stopped. Christian rocked her body, back and forth, sobbing all the pain and heartache as if it would never end.

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"If you're sure…"

"I am Mama. I need to go back."

"My darling, I'm just so worried for you."

Christian nodded. The weeks had been unbearable since Satine's death. The Duke had been taken to the hospital, and then charged with murder. Christian was now going back to France, the place where Satine had grown up. He needed to.

He hugged his mother tightly, and then Anna. She smiled, unshed tears shining in her eyes. Christian turned away and walked to the carriage that would take him to the train station.

He was going to write Satine's book.

That was a promise.


End file.
